Flowers in the Storm
by letsleepingdogslie
Summary: Ch 5: Oliver and Felicity are still struggling to deal with the aftermath of their date when Vertigo makes another surprise appearance. Enter Ray Palmer: rich, handsome, intelligent and highly interested in Queen Consolidated, amongst other things. As if the stakes weren't high enough already... This was a series of fluffy one-shots but as of Ch 4 its more like Season 2.25.
1. Unleashing Arrows

**Felicity decides to try on the Hood. Where's the fun if she doesn't get caught by Oliver?**

**Ch. 1: Unleashing Arrows**

Felicity sneaked glances left and right making sure that no one was about. All clear. Straining her ears she tried to listen for approaching footsteps. Hearing nothing she pulled the green hood over her head.

Reverently she reached for Oliver's bow. It felt odd in her hand and she couldn't help but stare at it in awe. When she had had it custom designed for Oliver she had never imagined that he would be so pleased with it. She had hoped, of course, but she could never be sure when it came to Oliver. He was so… mercurial. They had come so far this past year. Oliver, Diggle and her.

Still, that had nothing to do with the madness possessing her at the moment. She contemplated Oliver's quiver for a minute wondering if she should grab an arrow but then she shook her head firmly. She had already hijacked his hood and bow. Besides, she could do real damage with an arrow. Maybe even to her precious computers and that thought alone gave her hives.

An involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. She covered her mouth with her hand and promptly gave herself a mental shake. She was alone in the Foundry. No one knew what she was doing. She straightened with renewed purpose.

Tonight, Felicity Smoak would play the Arrow.

Key word being play. She wasn't that blond, after all.

She twirled around in the Arrow's oversized hood nearly toppling in her haste. Recovering quickly she made a run towards the stairs, inserting an imaginary arrow into the bow. One by one she let loose her imaginary arrows pretending that they were penetrating her fears. She imagined them piercing the villains that haunted Starling City. The villains that haunted Oliver. She didn't know why it bothered her so much but she had in inexplicable need to assuage the burden that Oliver carried on his shoulders. His very broad shoulders…

"Focus, Felicity!" she murmured to herself.

Suddenly the ridiculousness of her antics hit her. Here she was, alone in the Foundry, shooting imaginary arrows at imaginary villains and yet her brain refused to accept something very real. Felicity Meghan Smoak had more than platonic feelings for Oliver Queen.

"No, I don't," she grumbled and then answered herself, "Who are you trying to convince?"

Pushing aside her thoughts, she decided to change the game. This was supposed to be fun!

She raced at her chair and threw herself onto it. The chair swivelled out of control and she started unleashing her imaginary arrows. The freedom of the movement made her laugh out loud.

"HA!" she exclaimed, "I'D LIKE TO SEE THE ARROW UNLEASH THAT MANY ARROWS AT ONCE!"

Still laughing she pushed herself off the chair, the momentum hurtling her towards the stairs. Not caring that her glasses had fallen off at some point during her game, she took off at a run. Reaching a speed that she thought was acceptable she threw herself onto her knees pretending the bow was a guitar. When had she turned from an archer into a rockstar?

In a blur, her breath was knocked out of her. Instead of skidding to a halt she crashed into something and it toppled over with a loud thud and… was that a grunt?

Squeezing her eyes shut she grimaced. For the love of all things techy, please let her not be sprawled over the deliciously handsome man she was currently impersonating. Gathering her wits she opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Oliver's belt buckle. Feeling her face heat up she scrambled to get her face way from his family jewels.

Being Felicity, she just managed to smack him with his bow. Setting it aside hastily, she reached to touch his abused chest and losing her balance found herself sprawled over it. Damn.

"Fe-li-ci-ty."

Were those butterflies in her stomach? Why must he roll each syllable of her name over his damn honeyed tongue?

She smiled down at him sheepishly. The effect was ruined by the hood falling over her eyes. His mouth twitched slightly but he didn't say anything.

"Well, this is awkward. Here I am, playing with your bow. Not that it's a toy. I didn't mean to smack you." She patted his chest comfortingly, "You're so hard though. It's feels nice actually… This reminds me of that time you saved me from that land mine. At least we're not sweating all over each other. Haha… That would be uncomfortable… I'm going to shut up."

He looked amused. She could tell because his eyes were lit up and his lips were compressed as if to keep from smiling. Her gazed latched onto his lips and then flew back to his eyes. He was watching her and had yet to make any move to get them upright and away from each other.

Suddenly, Felicity was uncomfortably aware of the fact that she could feel the heat coming off him and that her heart was pounding loudly. Could he hear it too? He was so close; she could actually smell mint on his breath. Unreasonably, the thought excited her.

Acutely aware of the intimacy of their position she couldn't help but stare directly into his eyes. For a minute she'd swear she saw a flare there that had her thinking the attraction was mutual. His lips were inching closer to hers and their breath mingled as she let out an imperceptible gasp. The erratic pounding of her heart became unbearable and she realized that she could feel his heart doing the same below her hand. Could it be that… Would he kiss her?

"Oliver, are you ready?" Diggle's voice floated down the stairs.

Before she knew it Felicity was upright again. Baffled by the turn of events she gasped as Oliver started unzipping his hood. Tingles of awareness shot up and down her spine pecking at her frayed nerves. He smiled as he pulled it off her and her mind strayed to other things he could strip off of her.

_Naughty Felicity._

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Felicity hurried to pick up the bow and hand it to him.

"How long were you watching?" she asked nervously.

He flashed a quick grin at her, "Long enough to learn that I could never unleash as many arrows as you in one go."

She groaned loudly, "I was just…"

Felicity trailed off when Oliver invaded her personal space again and reached for her face. Gently, he slid her glasses behind her ears and gave her a serious stare.

"You know, Felicity," he said thoughtfully, his hands grazing her neck as he moved them to her shoulders, "You have some real talent. I don't know any archers who can use a bow as a guitar."

Was he teasing her?

His lips twitched once and she couldn't help but smile. She was dimly aware that she could hear Diggle coming down the stairs but it didn't matter. What mattered was that Oliver was pulling his hands away. This time she didn't miss the reluctance in his movements, as if he didn't want to pull away. And she didn't deny it when her inner voice mocked her.

_You don't want him to pull away. You want that kiss. You want… more._

She heard Diggle scolding Oliver on tardiness as they left the Foundry. Lost in her thoughts she ignored them.

Strolling over to her chair, Felicity contemplated the enigma that was Oliver Queen, positive that he too had felt the electricity between them. There was something there, something that needed to be explored. After all, Felicity hated mysteries.

Sitting down she let her gaze wander to the salmon ladder and a smile sprung to her lips. Maybe she would try that next?


	2. Kissing Pirates: A Guide

**Felicity has always enjoyed watching Oliver work up a sweat on the Salmon Ladder. But she never imagined that attempting it herself would finally push them over the edge and into a sensual spiral.**

**Ch. 2: Kissing Pirates: A Guide **

Felicity planted her hands on her hips and stared up at the salmon ladder resolutely. She was geared up and ready to attack the ladder with a vengeance.

_Nope. Better not._

Stepping back she let out a sigh and shook her head.

"I don't think this is a good idea," she said out loud, "If I fall I could get a concussion… and what if there's permanent brain damage? I mean, you guys keep me around for my brain so…"

"We don't keep you around for your brains," Diggle cut her off gently.

Felicity turned around to face Diggle and Roy who were watching from a safe distance.

"Well, not _just _for your brains," Roy added, running his eyes over her spandex covered body suggestively. She pursed her lips and gave him a serious look. He responded by waggling his eyebrows at her.

She tried to keep her expression stern but failed and a silly grin broke out. It was rare to see Roy be carefree these days. He had always been grim and stressed due to the Mirakuru. Although they had been administering the cure to him regularly, Thea's sudden disappearance had managed to obliterate any happiness from his life. If he took joy in teasing Felicity, so be it.

Ever since that fateful night five months ago Roy had become an honorary member of Team Arrow, although Felicity was still the only one who called it that. Clearly, none of her boys had a sense of humour. In fact, a lot had changed since that night. Oliver and Diggle had been insistent that she take some self defense classes and Diggle had become her self-appointed trainer. Roy just seemed to enjoy watching her make a fool of herself.

Felicity shook her head at them, her eyes widening involuntarily.

"Can't we just do some more of those blocking exercises?" she asked hopefully.

Diggle stared back silently but Roy laughed outright.

"You're the one who said she wanted to try the ladder. What, are you too chicken now?" he taunted.

Felicity glared at him, spinning around abruptly with her nose in the air. Sniffing haughtily she proclaimed, to no one in particular, "Just watch me."

She stalked over to the salmon ladder and hauled herself up to grab onto the bar which Diggle had thoughtfully lowered to the lowest notch. Hanging limply for a moment she wondered what to do next and thought back to all the times she had avidly watched Oliver master the stupid thing.

_He does pull-ups sometimes. _

Nodding absentmindedly she used her upper body strength to raise herself up, managing to do twenty pull-ups before her grip failed her and she was forced to let go.

She turned around proudly, beaming at Diggle and Roy.

"I'm impressed," Diggle said with a smile, "You wouldn't have been able to manage even one a month ago."

Felicity turned to Roy smugly but he still looked unimpressed.

"Now if you could only manage to move higher up the ladder," he said wistfully. Why was he so insistent on mocking her today?

"Why don't you have a go?" she snapped.

He gave her a wicked grin as if he had been waiting for her to ask.

"With pleasure, Barbie."

Pulling off his shirt he made his way to the ladder and skillfully executed the movements pushing himself higher and higher. Once he had reached the fourth notch, he pushed the bar off the ladder and landed gracefully on the ground (If you didn't count the grunt, which Felicity did) with the damn bar in his hands.

"How long have you been waiting to show-off?" Diggle asked Roy, his eyes shining with amusement.

"I never realized exactly how much you idolize Oliver," Felicity mock whispered at him bursting into laughter when he glared at her and mumbled, "Whatever."

"Okay, you two, break it up," Diggle announced, "I'm going to go grab dinner. Coming, Roy? The regular, Felicity?"

"Yup! Thanks Dig!"

Felicity waited until the two of them had left before circling back to the salmon ladder. If Roy could do it, so could she. She must have built up enough upper body strength after a whole month of training, right?

Closing her eyes she thought of the physics of the exercise. She just needed to build her momentum and then use it to push the bar onto the next notch.

"Okay, here goes," she whispered to herself.

Centering herself she pulled her body up once again. Breathing deeply she focused on her arms and readied herself to push the bar off the notch. For a minute she didn't believe it when the bar actually came off and travelled upwards taking her with it. Exhilaration rushed through her but changed to panic in a split second when a sharp voice rang out, "Felicity, what the hell are you doing?!"

She jerked, immediately throwing off her balance and in a split second she saw her life flash before her eyes. Although it took less than 15 seconds to Felicity it felt like an age. The air whooshed out of her lungs and she prepared herself for the impact of hitting the ground but… it never came. Instead she found herself halted mid-fall, and when her and her rescuer hit the ground he ended up taking brunt of the fall.

Logically, being saved by Oliver Queen was preferable to cracking open her skull but for some reason the fact that he had had to _save_ her again irritated her. In fact, if he hadn't sneaked up on her she would have been successful in her endeavour and been able to tell Roy to suck it. But now…

The two of them were lying side by side on the ground so she turned her face to treat him to a frown.

Looking surprised by her reaction cocked his eyebrow at her, "You're welcome."

Disgruntled by his cockiness Felicity turned away and pushed herself of the ground with a grunt. She was brushing herself off and preparing to storm off but was thrown off track when Oliver stepped close to her and said, "Hey, look me in the eyes. Did you hit your head?"

Felicity shook her head, maintaining her silence. He didn't look convinced and she suddenly found herself being manhandled.

_Deliciously manhandled._

Putting his hands on her waist he trailed them over her body, applying pressure in certain areas, not that Felicity noticed. She could barely think over the roaring in her head as his hands left a blazing trail everywhere they touched.

"Does it hurt here?" Oliver asked as he pressed his hand into the small of her back. It took her a moment to register his question and she shook her head tensely.

"You seem out of sorts," he said, and eyed her strangely, "Maybe you did hit your head?"

In a swift movement he pulled her hair tie off and buried his hands in her hair, probing for bumps. Finding nothing he looked baffled.

"Hey, speak to me."

"I'm fine, really! All mental faculties intact."

"Which begs the question, why would you try something so potentially dangerous?"

"Hey, I've been training! And I would have made the jump if you hadn't come in a distracted me!"

Oliver snorted disbelievingly.

Oliver Queen, who just months ago had told her he loved her and then neither confirmed nor denied it when she had tried to get clarification, just snorted at her. Oliver Queen, who instead of answering her, had given her the most beatific smile she had ever seen, a smile that had made her stomach turn butterflies, had just sorted at her.

She had made a decision that day; if the stubborn man wanted to ignore the sexual tension that permeated the air whenever they were together she would let him because Felicity Smoak was not interested in a half-assed relationship. He wasn't ready and she wasn't willing to accept him if he wasn't sure of his feelings.

When she didn't reply he tugged at one of the blond curls that were now haphazardly cascading over her shoulders.

"You scared me," he said simply.

Felicity stared at him blankly; her anger dissipating swiftly. "Oh."

"When I saw you falling, I just… panicked," Oliver shook his head slightly and Felicity saw a subtle shift in his eyes. While he had been looking at her worriedly for the past few minutes, his eyes now held a strange gleam and his stance had shifted from relaxed to tense. Unnerved by the sudden change Felicity took a step back and was surprised when he mimicked her steps coming even closer than he had previously been.

"Oliver," Felicity whispered as he lowered his head and his lips inched closer to hers, "Maybe we should take a breath and…"

She never got finish her sentence because she found herself unceremoniously hauled up against Oliver's chest, his hands on her waist and his lips insistent on hers. Heart beating erratically she returned his kiss with every bit of pent-up passion she had. One of his hands trailed up her back to cradle her head and he twisted her hair around it pulling gently and she acquiesced, tilting her head back and reaching up to lock her hands around his neck.

He broke off the kiss and touched his forehead to hers. His blue eyes bore into his and she read a clear question in them. She answered his question by pulling his head down again, initiating the second kiss. She had never dreamed that they might actually kiss, imagined perhaps, but in her imagination it was always gentle and soft. The real thing, though, it had intensity to it that she had never experienced before. His mouth was hot and demanding and he was really quite skilled with it, which he further proved by trailing a series of hot kisses down her neck.

_It's like a cheesy romance novel; he kisses like one of those damn tortured pirates._

Feeling an unreasonable urge to giggle she unconsciously murmured, "Pirates… Jack. Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Who's Jack?" Oliver paused looking disgruntled, which struck Felicity as funny and she giggled.

Sighing he kissed her on the nose, "You'll forget soon enough, or as soon as I can get this top off."

Felicity's heart just about stopped then, "Wait! Roy and Diggle will be back with dinner any minute now and I don't think we're there… yet."

Oliver considered her silently before sighing loudly and taking a step back, "Felicity, we should get dinner."

Still reeling from what had occurred she gave him a baffled look, "I just told you, Roy and Diggle are getting dinner."

Oliver rubbed his hand over his face and stared at her for a moment, "I meant on a date. I've been back long enough to know that this is still how a guy asks out a girl. Unless what you meant by we're not ready is that you don't want to in which case I don't want you to feel like I…"

"Wow," Felicity breathed, "I'm impressed. I thought I had babbling covered in this partnership. I would say that we owe it to ourselves to explore… whatever this is. But I have to say that this is kind of sudden. Are you sure?"

He smiled at her then and Felicity was struck by how similar this smile was to the one he had given her on the island, "Oh, I'm sure. And it's not sudden. In fact, I'd say it's been a long time coming. Dinner tomorrow night, then? Or something else. I can figure something out, unless you want to decide."

"Oliver, dinner sounds perfect," Felicity smiled at him.

He flashed her a grin and took a step back, "I think I should leave because if I stay… I can't."

He took a few steps towards the exit but then paused. Turning around he reached her in two strides and bent down to lay a soft kiss on her cheek.

"All this spandex is very inconvenient for what I have planned," his whisper tickled her ear, "Maybe you could wear the hood again. It's a lot easier to get off."

Stepping back he gave her a meaningful look.

"If I remember correctly I've always been good at that part of dating."

Turning on his heel he disappeared from view.

_Wait, what was that about the Hood?! Who am I kidding, the insinuation was pretty clear and damned if I'm not anticipating it... Felicity, calm yourself! This is neither the time nor place to hyperventilate!_

It was official; Felicity Smoak was going on a date with Oliver Queen. Mind-boggling, really. Breathing deeply, Felicity tried to control her pounding heart, "A date?" She groaned.

"Ugh, Roy is going to have a field day. Which reminds me, where is my dinner?!"


	3. Harry Potter and the Bachelor's Button?

**Oliver and Felicity prepare for their first date.**

**Ch. 3: Harry Potter and the Bachelor's Button?**

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date," Felicity sang, her cheery tone incongruous with the words, and then added, "Seriously, Oliver will be here any minute and I'm not ready."

Hastily grabbing her pink pumps off the floor she started jamming them onto her feet while simultaneously moving towards the door. She was so focused on multitasking that she didn't notice the hairbrush lying directly in her path. The next minute found her sprawled on the ground staring at the ceiling.

"UGH!"

Closing her eyes she let herself sink into the soft carpet. Maybe she should stay right here. It would be so much easier than walking out that door. It would be potentially safer than messing up the few stable, if you could call them that, relationships in her life. Letting out a puff of breath, she glared accusingly at the ceiling.

"What if it doesn't work out?" the thought escaped her mouth unbidden. Felicity clapped a hand over her mouth and mentally chastised herself. Reminding herself to think positive thoughts she pushed herself off the floor just as a firm knock sounded at the door.

"Coming," she called out and rushed towards the door as she adjusted her dress. Spreading her fingers over the doorknob she tapped a staccato rhythm on it, knowing that she was stalling. Steeling herself, she turned the knob swinging open the door.

Oliver stared at Felicity for a moment and then swallowed thickly, trying to hide his nervousness. He would never admit, not even under threat of torture, but the fact remained; he was nervous. He had left the Foundry an hour ago, trying to decide whether flowers would be overkill or not. Which had then led to him _willingly_ walking into a flower shop the florist had promptly shoved several arrangements under his nose, confounding him with all the colours and smells. Seeing Oliver's bafflement the florist had then asked, "Does the lady have a preference, sir?"

That's when he had realized that he didn't know. Roses had seemed too bland. The orchids had been too… white. Lilacs, tulips, sunflowers… He didn't know. And that was how he had ended up buying six bouquets of flowers. He'd received a lot of strange glances as he had carried the overwhelming amount of flowers to his car but he had ignored them because he had more important things on his mind. The first being, what if Felicity was allergic to flowers? The second was that flowers were extremely expensive. If Felicity knew that he had wasted his now very limited - not that he was destitute - resources on flowers she would be miffed. And, Heaven help him, he cared if Felicity was miffed.

Strapping on his seat belt he sat back and tapped the steering wheel anxiously. Making a decision he pulled out his phone.

"Oliver," Diggle responded almost immediately.

"I have a question," Oliver's words came out in a rush, "Does Felicity like flowers?"

There was static silence and then, "What?" The one syllable word was drawn out and contained a wealth of surprise.

"Does. Felicity. Like. Flowers?" he bit out slowly.

There was a disturbance on the other end of the line and when Diggle returned his voice was choked on something that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Gritting his teeth, Oliver leaned back and waited.

"Listen, man," Diggle sounded amused, "I don't know if I'm the best person to ask. Most girls like flowers but you never know with Felicity. One sec…"

Oliver heard a chastising female voice in the background, "I didn't expect you to reinforce gender norms, John."

"Is that Lyla?" Oliver couldn't keep a mocking tone from creeping into his voice.

"Yes, she likes flowers," Diggle answered, no longer amused, "Blue ones in particular."

"And you couldn't have started with that?" Oliver rolled his eyes and then smirked when he heard Lyla ask Diggle the exact same question.

"I really like pregnant Lyla," Oliver drawled.

"That makes one of us," Diggle huffed and the line went blank.

A half hour later he had found himself outside Felicity's door with has hand poised to knock when a screech stopped him short. His body immediately tensed, ready to spring into action but when he heard a loud thud followed by and equally loud 'UGH' he stopped himself.

Taking a minute to compose himself he breathed deeply and stared at the bouquet in his hand. It was practically overflowing with blue and he was practically overflowing with anxiety at the thought of Felicity hating it. Ignoring his thoughts he knocked on the door and let out a sigh of relief when he heard Felicity's voice call out in response. A minute later the door swung open and he found himself face to face with a very ruffled blonde. Literally, her hair was standing up on one end and it was adorable.

Clearing his throat, he smiled at Felicity and held out the flowers, "You look lovely, Felicity."

Felicity blinked at the large assortment of flowers before reaching out and taking them from his hand. Bringing it close to her face she inhaled deeply before disarming him with a beauteous smile. Plucking a deep blue flower she looked up, her blue eyes twinkling prettily.

"Thank you," the words came out breathless and she stepped away from the doorway, "Come in! I need to put these in water."

Twirling in a whirlwind of pink she started towards the kitchen. Glancing back at Oliver to make sure he was following, she gave him an encouraging smile. Ignoring his erratic heart beat Oliver took a cautious step into her living room. Instead of following her he looked around trying to soak in as much of Felicity's life as he could.

Her apartment was small but it had a certain warmth; a warmth that just screamed Felicity. It was bright and cozy and littered with little knickknacks that seemed to be organized in some pattern that only Felicity could decipher. A picture here, a tiny glass panda there, a glaringly empty picture frame over the fireplace… Pondering at the oddity, he absentmindedly picked up a striped tie that was slung over the fireplace, right next to the empty frame. Rubbing the soft material he wondered why she would keep a green and silver striped tie. His next thought was that it could belong to an ex-boyfriend and an involuntary frown clouded his brow.

It would seem that her house was just like her life and her codes; a complicated puzzle that the average person couldn't grasp but she had somehow mastered. The urge to crack the code and to learn everything about her was so strong that it scared Oliver a little. He shook his head. Imagine that, the Arrow scared of a tiny blonde.

Felicity's soft voice broke the silence, "I see you've found my tie. I'm a Ravenclaw, you know. But my mother isn't the best listener. She hears what she wants to and…" Laughing deprecatingly she continued, her smile bright but forced, "But, hey, a Slytherin tie is just as good, maybe better. After all, Regulus Black was a Slytherin. Although, people tend to forget about him in favour of Snape -"

"Hey," Oliver put a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of babble mode, "A lot of that flew straight over my head. A Ravenclaw, you say? I'd have pegged you for a Gryffindor."

Felicity's startled gaze flew to his, "You've read Harry Potter?"

Oliver grinned at her teasingly, "No, but I did watch the first three movies."

"Then you know that you'd probably be in Gryffindor. I'm more useful behind my computer anyway. Doing all the fun geeky stuff. Ergo, Ravenclaw."

"Nope, heroes belong in Gryffindor," he replied knowledgeably, "You're the bushy haired know-it-all in our trio."

Felicity giggled, "Are you saying that Diggle is Ron Weasley?"

Oliver widened his eyes innocently and placed a hand on his chest, "Actually, I picture _myself_ as Ron."

Felicity burst into laughter and Oliver felt a curious warmth squeeze his heart as he watched her. Enjoying the feeling, he found himself glad that he had retained enough Harry Potter trivia to make her laugh.

Composing herself Felicity impulsively grabbed Oliver's hand.

"Come on," she grinned at him, "I'm starved and you promised me Italian, but to be honest I'm looking forward to that wine you owe me."

Her smaller hand grasped firmly in his she pulled but he didn't budge. She tugged again and sent him a questioning look.

"You might want to fix your hair before we leave." Oliver released her hand and she went rushing into her bedroom. Resisting the temptation to follow her Oliver stood in place and counted. She was back a minute later, her hair now smooth in place.

"You said I looked lovely," Felicity accused.

"You did," Oliver answered, the words a soft whisper, "And you still do."

A soft blush stole up Felicity's cheeks and she opened her mouth, presumably to babble again but stopped when Oliver took her hand and steered her towards the door.

"Careful, you'll crush my flower," Felicity squealed, "I mean, not _my_ flower, obviously. Not that I still… No, wait. I just really like the Bachelor's Button."

Oliver could hardly keep a straight face as Felicity locked her door behind her, "It doesn't really match your dress though." He stared pointedly at the blue flower knotted around her wrist and gestured towards her pink dress, the same one she had pulled from the bouquet.

"Oliver, did you just question my fashion choices? See, appearances can be deceiving. I think it's perfect. Don't laugh but I'm probably going to press it between a book and this way it'll be full of memories. Maybe I'll even press it between the third Harry Potter book?"

She looked up suddenly, "I don't know why I told you that."

"Oh, I think I might do the same," Oliver said opening the car door for her, "I certainly have enough flowers."

Confused Felicity settled into her seat and her nose twitched as the sweet stench of flowers overwhelmed all of her senses. Twisting in her seat she found five large bouquets of flowers sitting innocently on the back seat. Five, she counted again.

"Oliver, seriously," she barely got a chance to start her disapproving rant before Oliver cut her off.

"I thought I'd send them to the children's ward at Starling Hospital."

He winked at her before concentrating on pulling out of the driveway. Mollified, she couldn't help but smile at the infuriatingly charming man.

"You're going to be the death of me, Oliver Queen. Figuratively," she added quickly, before sticking her tongue out at him.

She didn't miss his answering grin. Good. The man didn't smile enough and if she could make him smile, well, better late than never, right?


	4. Crushed Petals

**First dates are exciting, right? But in Starling City happiness is fleeting, at least for the Arrow.**

**Ch. 4: Crushed Petals**

Felicity watched as Oliver rubbed his thumb against his index finger for the umpteenth time. They had talked about inane things during the car ride - he had asked her why she liked the Bachelor's Button so much and she had recounted the silly, sentimental story and he had listened attentively - but as soon as they had entered the restaurant Oliver had entered Arrow mode.

Their waiter had led them to their table, situated in a secluded corner bathed in candle light, and Oliver had immediately started scanning his surroundings, but that was normal for him. Felicity would have been worried if he hadn't, but when he seemed unsatisfied with what he found she had begun to worry. The fact that he was uncomfortable made Felicity uneasy because when Oliver was tense trouble usually followed. Even the slightest noise seemed to coil the tension tighter around him. Slipping her fingers into his hand she stilled his distracted hand motions.

"Oliver, is everything alright?" Felicity prodded.

He gave her fingers a soft squeeze before answering.

"I don't know. Since the moment we walked in I've had the feeling of being watched and I've learned not to ignore my instincts." Oliver looked at her apologetically.

Felicity frowned, "Did you see anyone or anything suspicious? Starling City has been incident free for over five months now and I have several surveillance systems running constantly to pick up on facial recognition, for the escaped convicts, not to mention the bank trails and this one algorithm designed specifically to pinpoint travel…"

Seeing Oliver's mystified expression she stopped herself, "Sorry, got a little excited there."

"Don't apologize. I love your enthusiasm for… everything you do. It's charming," he said solemnly, his heart just about ready to burst with affection. She took a moment to let his sincere declaration sink in.

"Nothing has come up?" Oliver continued, his mind still reeling with the brilliance of the woman seated across him.

"Nothing at all, but silence can be dangerous too. We could cut this short if it's bothering you?" Felicity replied, logic taking precedence over her desires.

"Absolutely not," Oliver said firmly his eyes scanning the crowd one last time, "This has been a long time coming; don't you think?" His hooded eyes gleamed seductively in the candle light and an answering shiver made its way up Felicity's back.

"Yes," she answered softly, "Let's do something date-y then. Tell me something I can't find on the internet." His shoulders relaxed at her cheeky tone.

Oliver considered her request and a spark lit his eyes.

"When I was nine I really wanted a puppy," he whispered, as if imparting a great secret.

"I find it hard to believe that your parents didn't immediately buy you twenty," she teased.

"No, they got me something they said I would love much more," it slipped out of his mouth and he cursed his inability to be dishonest with Felicity.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Thea," he smiled sadly, aware that he had dragged them back into upsetting territory, "They were right."

Felicity blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone but her response was immediate. "Hey, listen to me. We're going to find her. Thea is a smart, capable young woman. Yes, she's very angry right now but her heart is in the right place. She made it out of here and she'll find her way back when she's ready," she said trying to erase the haunted look in his eyes.

Her heart took a sudden leap as Oliver turned his grave blue eyes on her and tightly entwined their fingers. Certain that he could see her pulse jumping she cleared her throat, searching for something to lighten the mood. But her scrambled thoughts refused to abandon the topic. No matter how hard they tried to pretend they were normal, the darker parts of their lives would always manage to seep in through the cracks. To be fair though, Felicity's demons weren't as terrifying as Oliver's were. No, hers were just faceless.

"Thank you, Felicity," Oliver stared at their joined hands before looking back at her, "I'm messing this up royally. Maybe we should leave our nightly activities out of this."

Felicity raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

Oliver grinned, "You know what kind of nightly activities I'm talking about although I know that I would prefer the other kind." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively but his eyes still held grief. Her heart clenching painfully she felt the need to erase his woes and worries.

"Oliver, I'm not here so that we can pretend to be people we're not. I want it all, the good and the bad. We've faced so much together and we'll keep facing whatever life throws our way. But for tonight, yes, let's focus on the good."

Fearing that she had revealed too much Felicity's mind scrambled and she let one of her regular musings escape her mouth unfiltered, "I've always wanted to know why you have a reputation as a ladies' man." She grinned playfully and Oliver surprised the both of them with a chuckle.

"Excuse me?" he cocked an eyebrow at her and gestured towards himself as if the answer were obvious.

Felicity's grin grew wider, "I don't see it. I've lived in suspense long enough. How exactly does Oliver Queen charm the ladies?" Untangling her fingers from his she locked her hands together, leaned her chin on them and eyed Oliver expectantly.

"Alright, then," Oliver's eyes flashed with challenge.

Felicity watched in amusement as he transformed before her eyes. Gone was the tense man of minutes ago. In his place was a different man, just as dangerous, but for different reasons because this Oliver Queen had a lazy grin that promised all kinds of untold pleasures. Picking up his glass Oliver twirled it between his long fingers. Felicity's breath caught and she let her gaze travel from his fingers to his gorgeous blue eyes which were studying her intently, belying his languid pose.

"You know, Ms. Smoak, I don't believe anyone has ever intrigued me as you do." He had lowered his voice to a timbre that sent a shudder rippling through her. Eyeing her speculatively Oliver licked his lips, immediately drawing her gaze there, "Are you cold?"

Before she could answer he was up and shrugging off his coat. Walking to stand directly behind her he slowly lay the coat over her shoulders and she barely repressed another shudder as the material slid sensuously over her bare shoulders. As his scent and lingering warmth enveloped her Felicity could not help but wish that they were in a more intimate setting.

Seemingly satisfied that the coat would not fall off Oliver trailed his finger up the back of her neck before leaning in and brushing a soft kiss right where her pulse was fluttering madly.

"So sweet," his honeyed voice whispered in her ear, his hot breath making her imagination go wild. Pulling back he returned to his seat and leaned back satisfied that he had delivered what she had asked for.

Swallowing discreetly Felicity tried to control her voice but it came out husky despite her efforts, "Well done. I'm impressed."

"I expect reciprocation," Oliver's gaze was full of triumph and damned if Felicity didn't find that attractive, "Impress me… if you can."

Felicity laughed outright. Picking up her glass of wine she took a sip and slowly licked away a stray drop. Oliver watched intently as her tongue peeped out and lingered before slowly disappearing. Shifting in his chair he smiled and wondered if she was just going to recycle his tricks. Seemingly oblivious to his scrutiny Felicity leaned towards him as if drawn involuntarily. Biting her lip she hesitantly met his eyes.

"Do you have just the one tattoo?" she asked, her voice huskier than before if that were possible. Based on her heightened color and bright eyes she hadn't procured it on purpose.

"Maybe I'll show you… Why do you ask?" he played along, trying to keep his own voice steady.

"Oh, you know," her fingers traced the rim of her glass. "When I got my first ear piercing it led to the next one and then the next one and so on."

"You have more?" he asked, counting the visible ones.

"Hmmm, in more interesting and less visible places, yes," her finger trailed down the glass leaving a wet trail in the condensation. She flashed him a wicked grin as her knee grazed his under the table, "Did you know that belly dancing is very popular in Vegas?" She asked the question innocently but he read the underlying message.

Immediately his mind frantically tried to imagine Felicity with her belly ring… dancing and Oliver fidgeted in his seat. Lifting his glass he toasted her, "I think I'm impressed enough… and curious. Very curious."

"So you concede defeat?" Felicity asked smugly.

"I concede nothing," Oliver's eyes latched onto hers, full of dark promise, "Yet."

The tone at the table had gone from tense to intense so fast that Felicity felt the familiar need to explain how her words had not been intended sexually and she was stumped when she realized that they had. Odd, that. But she was saved from answering by the waiter who chose that exact moment to interrupt.

"Excuse me, sir," the young man seemed nervous, "There's a… gentleman at reception asking to see you. I was told to tell you it's urgent."

Oliver frowned, his eyes alert.

"Is he still there? Did he give a name?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the waiter answered, "No name, only a message. He said he has a new formula that will give you… vertigo." He gulped before forcing out the last word.

Oliver's scowled, "I'll be there shortly. Leave."

The waiter swallowed nervously before rushing away.

Feeling a cold chill run down her spine Felicity stretched her neck, trying to see beyond reception but to no avail. Turning to Oliver she found him watching her, his expression worried.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Oliver. Vertigo is dead which begs the question, who's out there?" Breathing deeply she composed herself and said, "I'll call Diggle."

He nodded curtly, "Stay here and _be safe_." The last words came out on a growl.

"Of course," she pulled her phone out already dialing Diggle's number, "But maybe we should leave. There are still people here." She looked around the restaurant noticing that out of the original four couples, only one remained.

Oliver looked around and his mouth twisted remorsefully, "No time."

"Be careful," her words were lost since Oliver had already stalked off. He scanned the room for hidden corners or vantage points that could be used for shooting. Once again, he came up with nothing. Where was the danger, what was he missing?

As soon as he turned the corner he was met with a punch flying at his face. Dodging it, he started towards his attacker determinedly. He didn't recognize the grinning fool and that frustrated Oliver. The interloper was tall and slim, his delicate features pale and deceptively meek, but the sinister grin on his face changed the planes of his face from feeble to forbidding.

"Who are you?" Oliver snarled.

Oliver received an answering grin as the blond backed away, hands raised in a placating gesture.

"You know who I am so maybe you should ask a different question like will my girlfriend survive the impending blast?" the voice that answered him was high pitched and it grated heavily on Oliver's nerves.

He stopped in his tracks, the blood draining from his face.

"Tsk, tsk. Shame on you," the new Vertigo affected a disappointed stance, "You left your pretty date all alone at a table which is about to explode in, let's see..." Vertigo made to look at a non-existent watch before continuing, "Ten, nine…"

Without thinking Oliver turned to sprint towards the table, a loud roar ripping from his chest. Desperately trying to reach her before the inevitable happened, he ran faster, the blood pounding in his ears.

"FELICITY!" he screamed her name. She looked up in confusion, her phone pressed to her ear, "GET AWAY FROM THE TABLE. MOVE."

Her expression turning panicked Felicity pushed her chair back and had made barely made it a yard when the table exploded in her wake. The impact of the explosion sent her flying into the air and Oliver felt like his windpipe was being crushed.

"NOOOOOO!" he barely recognized his own voice as he heard the sickening crack of Felicity' skull against the wall. Her body bounced on the ground before lying there, limp and lifeless. Deaf to the chaos and screaming going on around him Oliver skidded to a halt and fell to his knees, his mind whirling. There was blood everywhere.

His fingers shook as he pushed away her hair, hoping beyond hope that she would open her eyes. Frenzied he searched for a pulse and nearly cried in relief when he felt it beating at the base of her throat. It was slow but it was there which meant that she was alive. She couldn't leave him, not when everyone else had.

She _had_ to make it. There was no other option.

A column shattered and the building shuddered as debris went flying everywhere. Shielding his eyes Oliver twisted his neck and thundered, "GET OUT OF HERE. NOW!"

He was met with silence because the others had fled to safety while he had been unable to keep the one person that mattered safe.

_Tsk, tsk._ The annoying sound rang in his head, forever ingrained in his memories.

Gathering Felicity in his arms he hastened to the door as the ground gave another shuddering wobble, frantic to get her to safety. Growling into her hair, he silently vowed that Vertigo would pay dearly for his mistake. But first, he had to save the woman he loved.

The next hour had been the hardest hour of Oliver's life. He was sure that he had broken every traffic law trying to get Felicity to the Foundry as quickly as possible. Rushing down the stairs he hadn't been surprised to find Diggle waiting anxiously. Diggle's eyes had immediately flown to Felicity's bloodied body and he had pointed at the operating table, his jaw clenched tight. Oliver laid her down gently and braced himself for the worst.

"I was on the phone with her and then there was screaming and then nothing. The news reported it as an attack of unknown origins and the media's in a frenzy. Someone tried to kill Oliver Queen while he was on a date with an unknown female and then both of them _disappeared_." Diggle's solemn gaze was trained on Felicity as he spoke, his movements quick and mechanical as he examined her.

Felicity's eyelids fluttered weakly and Oliver grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly.

"Felicity," Diggle said soothingly, "Can you hear me?" She didn't respond.

Oliver watched Diggle brush hair off her face in order to get a better look at her head wound and he noticed that Diggle's hand was shaking. Feeling Felicity's hand twitch in his, Oliver sighed in relief.

"I think she's coming to," he whispered.

"That might not be a good thing," Diggle replied, his face grim as he lifted her left arm and the torn material of the dress beneath it. Oliver's breath hitched when he saw what lay beneath, her skin was bloody and embedded with glass, likely from the wine glasses that had shattered in the explosion.

"We have to clean it before she wakes up," Diggle said regretfully.

Oliver had nodded and for the next half hour the only sound was the ticking clock and the chink of glass as it was dropped into a metal dish. Then Diggle had sterilized the wound and wrapped it up before doing the same to the head wound.

"She's going to be fine," Dig continued his voice tight with emotion, "She got far enough to minimize the impact of the explosion so head wound is minor. We'll know for sure when she wakes up."

Oliver watched as Diggle injected Felicity with a painkiller and felt some tension ease from his shoulders as her breathing evened out.

"But the fact will remain," Oliver clenched his fists as Felicity's face twisted in discomfort, "That I did this to her."

Diggle sat down, purposefully ignoring Felicity's usual chair and grabbing a stool instead. He studied Oliver thinking of the best way to phrase his thoughts.

"This is not your fault and Felicity would tell you herself if she were conscious. She would probably be more vocal about it though. You cannot take the blame for everything that goes wrong; you carry too much as it is. You made a choice when you came back to Starling City and, Felicity and I, we both made a choice when we joined you. We could have left at any moment but we stayed on because we believe in you so you better not be about to tell me that you don't believe in us."

Oliver rubbed his face with both hands and turned away as a sudden thudding sounded at the stairs. Roy came into view, skidding in his haste. Stopping he doubled over panting hard.

"What… happened?" Roy gasped, out of breath, "Where's Felicity?" Finding her lying on the table, his accusing gaze flew to Oliver.

"She's going to be alright but she's going to be out of it for a while," Diggle informed him quickly.

Roy nodded, his mouth twisting vengefully, "Tell me we're going to catch the bastard who did this!"

"Better, we're going make him regret his very existence," Oliver replied in a dangerous tone, "But right now, Felicity needs us."

Roy nodded reluctantly and his perpetually angry gaze softened as it returned to Felicity, "She's just a beacon for trouble, isn't she? I can't wait to tell her how the media is describing her. An eyewitness reported a smoking hot blonde. Do you think that was a play on her name or do they really not know who she is?" Roy snickered but neither Oliver nor Diggle were fooled by his poor attempt to disguise his concern with snarkiness.

Not expecting a reply, Roy settled down to wait with them.

The first thing Felicity noticed was that someone had glued her eyes shut. No matter how hard she struggled she couldn't pry them open. In fact, she couldn't seem to control any part of her body. The second thing she noticed was that the left side of her body was aflame in pain, stinging and burning in the worst way possible but for some reason the accompanying pain in her head seemed to balance out the burning. Struggling against herself she finally managed to wiggle her toes and regretted it immediately when her whole body pulsated with pain. Her eyes flew open and she hissed in pain.

There was a flurry of movement and noise around her as her eyes adjusted to the light and finally focused on Diggle's face as he tried to restrain her without hurting her. Realizing that she was fighting his hold she forced herself to stop. Breathing heavily she tried to speak but only a croak escaped her dry mouth. Her inability to speak frustrated her and involuntary tears poured out as the pain overwhelmed her senses.

Gentle fingers brushed away her tears before sliding under her and slowly bringing her into a sitting position. Even the slow movement made her stomach churn uncomfortably and she grimaced, expecting to throw up any minute. Balancing her weight on one arm, Oliver used his other hand to ease a glass of water to her lips. Although her stomach rebelled at the thought her mouth had a mind of its own and she sipped greedily relieving her parched throat.

"Slow down," Oliver's voice eased her distress. Put down the glass he helped her sit up, allowing her to lean most of her weight on him. Dangling her legs over the side of the table she resolutely tried to keep her neck from giving out. The throbbing in her head intensified as she took in Roy and Diggle.

"Is everyone okay?" each word burned in her throat but she forced them out.

Oliver rubbed her back in soothing circular motion and answered, "No one was hurt. Except you."

"How are you feeling? You were pretty torn up," Diggle added.

Felicity attempted a smile, "To be honest, everything hurts but nothing I can't handle." She grimaced when she tried to reach out and take Diggle's hand.

Diggle gave her a reproaching look, "I'll get you more painkillers." He stalked off.

"And then we can get you home," Roy graced her with a rare genuine smile. "By the way, you look very pretty tonight." Oliver glared at him over Felicity's head.

Baffled by the bizarreness of the moment Felicity focused her energy on ignoring the pain.

"What happened?" She accepted the tablets from Diggle and Oliver helped her with the water again.

"We patched you up," Diggle explained, "You got some glass in your left side but you got _lucky_ with the head wound, it's not too serious although you will need to be monitored through the night." The word lucky came out in a biting tone.

"Or day," Roy cut in, "It's almost dawn."

Felicity startled visibly at that bit of news, "How long have I been out?"

"Almost six hours," Oliver answered, a wealth of emotion in the three words.

She swallowed sensing that her condition might not have been as stable as they were trying to make her believe. Clearly, the boys were still upset. The biggest giveaway being that Roy was still smiling.

Catching her speculative glance he pointed at himself proudly, "I'm going to be monitoring you."

Surprised she looked at Oliver but he didn't meet her eyes. Her heart sinking she lowered her gaze.

"Here, let's see if you can stand," Dig put his arm around her waist and eased her onto her feet as Oliver backed away. Swaying on her feet she clutched Dig's arm tightly. Pain ebbed through her muscles and she became aware that it would be much worse once the painkillers wore off. Pushing back more tears she steadied herself and pasted a bright smile onto her face.

"More scars mean more stories to tell my children one day," she joked feebly.

Diggle smiled at her but Roy just shook his head and Oliver stared at her his eyes swimming with an undefined emotion. Suddenly everything swam before her eyes and her knees buckled but Diggle kept her upright.

Oliver instinctively stepped forward to lift her into his arms. Smiling at him, Felicity leaned her head against his shoulder and patted his chest dazedly.

"Thank you," she managed before blacking out.

The next time she awakened she was lying in her own bed. Feeling a warm presence on her right she turned her head and came face to face with a sleeping Oliver. He was laying on top of the covers his brow troubled, even in sleep. Shifting to lie on her right side she breathed in relief as the pressure under her left arm eased. Painstakingly raising her hand she reached out to graze his face. She was tracing his jaw with her finger when his eyes flew open. The clear blue pierced her heart and she felt a sense of foreboding.

"Before our date I was curious to see what your bedroom looked like but I imagined I'd be here under different circumstances," he whispered regretfully, voice thick with sleep and other emotions he didn't care to define.

"Not platonic circumstances," he clarified, making her laugh and then flinch in pain.

Oliver grasped her hand in a firm grip and looked at her wrist. Smiling ruefully he stroked the blue flower still knotted around her wrist. It was hopelessly crushed and stained red with her blood.

"Your flower got damaged," he said sounding crushed himself.

"It might be damaged but it's still beautiful," she said the words slowly, hoping that he would take her meaning, "I think I'll press it anyway. Some broken things are worth saving."

Bringing her wrist close to his mouth he pressed a soft kiss on it as his thumb rubbed the back of her hand. His soothing touch coupled with the drugs she'd taken lulled her into a stupor. His next words broke through her sluggish senses and broke her heart.

"Felicity, I don't think I can do this."

"Don't," she whispered, "This isn't fair. I'm in no condition to argue with you."

He smiled despondently, "Which is why I have to do this now. I can't be with you and protect you at the same time. If something had happened to you tonight I wouldn't have been able to live."

She shook her head ineffectually against her pillow as he continued.

"You deserve better. You have so much to offer the world and trust me when I tell you that the world needs your light. I don't have anything to offer you, except myself," he closed his eyes aggrieved.

"That's all I want. All I need!" the protest came straight from her soul but Oliver ignored her words. He had been preparing all night and would not be swayed, not when it came to Felicity's life.

"I can't take the chance of hurting you again," he said, his own bruised heart cracking with each word.

Felicity stared at him, disappointed, "I don't accept this."

Oliver cupped her face and stared at her face as if trying to memorize it. Uncaring of her arm as it shrieked in pain Felicity wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Selfishly unable to resist, Oliver kissed her back promising himself that it would be the last. Smiling sadly against his lips she loosened her grip.

"Remember that, Oliver Jonas Queen," she murmured, eyes bright with unshed tears, "I'll always fight for you but I won't force you to fight for me."

He was silent as she turned on her back and stared resolutely at the ceiling. Dragging himself off the bed he sighed longingly.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes when I was thrown cross that room," Felicity broke the silence, "And it's funny because I didn't regret anything. Not one minute since I met you, not even being at that table which is stupid because I could have died there."

Felicity closed her eyes and listened to Oliver stride towards the door.

Stopping at the doorway Oliver turned to look at her scrunched up face. She made him believe that they could have everything but he couldn't take the risk of living in a world without Felicity. Her existence gave him the will to fight and he _was_ fighting for her, in his own way.

When she had jokingly mentioned her future children earlier his heart had clenched painfully as his brain conjured up an image of her reading Harry Potter to their kids while he sat in just because he could. The cruelty of the imagined scenario had nearly broken him because he knew that he could neither have nor deserved happiness like that. He tortured himself further with the image of her having that life with someone else and the thought made his teeth grit tightly. But at least she would be happy... _alive_.

"I'll check in on you tonight. Roy's here if you need anything. On the couch," he said, pushing away his thoughts.

She didn't reply, just waited for the sound of the front door closing. When the soft click reached her ears she groaned becoming overly aware of her throbbing head and aching body. Pushing herself upright she stared at the flower on her wrist. She unknotted it slowly, sniffing as several hot tears dripped onto it, absorbed immediately into the crushed petals. Placing it on her bed stand for later she grimaced as a dull memory pierced her thoughts.

A voice that had sounded suspiciously like Oliver's had broken into her consciousness and she had realized that he was strapping on her seatbelt. Barely conscious she had tried to speak but he had been too absorbed in his own words. Only three of them had stuck with her though. I love you. He had said it again unaware that she could hear him. That's all she recalled from her brief spurt of cognizance in the car.

"Idiot," Felicity whispered to the empty room and stared contemplatively at the doorway.

Making a choice she called out for Roy. He appeared a few seconds later, his hair sticking up and his face haggard. He gave her an expectant glare but when he noticed the tear tracks lining her face and her puffy eyes his own softened with concern.

"You okay?" he squinted at her, shielding his eyes against the first bright rays of sunlight filtering through the gaps in her curtains.

"I need help changing into my pyjamas," she managed through sniffles.

Roy colored instantly and fidgeted. Felicity cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You want… me… to help?" he stammered, completely flustered.

A shaky laugh escaped her mouth and she gave Roy a fond smile as more hot tears spilled over her cheeks. Idiots, the whole lot of them, but they needed her so she would remain strong. There was work to be done and Felicity Meghan Smoak was nothing if not determined. Accepting things meekly was decidedly not her strong suit.


	5. Problems

**Oliver and Felicity are still struggling to deal with the aftermath of their date when Vertigo makes another surprise appearance. Enter Ray Palmer: rich, handsome, intelligent and highly interested in Queen Consolidated - amongst other things. As if the stakes weren't high enough already…**

**Ch. 5: Problems**

Felicity was frustrated. One whole week and Oliver had been avoiding her like the plague. Yes, their date had been a total disaster and Oliver had done a great job of smashing her heart into a million tiny pieces. Yet somehow she had painstakingly picked up each piece and put it back together and for some unfathomable reason she couldn't shake the feeling that Oliver and her were meant to be. It seemed that Oliver disagreed though. The man was an encyclopedia of tragic relationships, some that Felicity had seen fall apart with her own eyes, so it made sense that he was scared. Not that it deterred Felicity – she was determined to show him that they could make this work.

In the meantime, she really missed him.

After spending the whole day at Queen Consolidated trying to get things in order before the board meeting the next morning, whilst Oliver was out doing Heaven knows what, she had left the building completely exhausted but planning on heading to the Foundry regardless. She had been unsurprised to find Roy lounging in the parking lot. He straightened as soon as she appeared.

"I've told you a hundred times, Roy," Felicity said with a sigh, "I don't need a babysitter. I see enough of you as is."

Her ponytail swinging in irritation she stalked to her car and got in. Roy slid into the passenger seat and laughed.

"You might need a babysitter but I need a purpose. This serves nicely," he smirked at her.

Scowling at him she pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the Foundry. Roy had been her unwanted bodyguard for the past week now. She had been unable to come to work for the first two days after the incident and Roy had wholeheartedly taken to the role of caretaker. Worse, he had laid claim to her couch, which really ate into her television time.

Despite the fact that she was fully healed now, he hadn't left and Felicity couldn't ask him to, partly because he was sleeping well for the first time since Thea had disappeared and partly because she didn't want to. It felt nice to have company, now if only she could teach him some boundaries.

Felicity descended the stairs into the Foundry with Roy hot on her heels. Throwing her jacket over her chair she looked around in resignation. The place was empty, devoid of Diggle… and Oliver. With the exception of the incident last week there had been few to no disturbances in Starling City which meant that Diggle had more time to spend with Lyla who was quickly nearing her delivery date.

Oliver, on the other hand, was a conundrum. None of them knew where he was spending his nights, or his days for that matter. Not only was that frustrating, it also worried Felicity. How was she supposed to protect him if she didn't know where he was?

Roy cleared his throat, "Why exactly are we here?"

Felicity sighed once again – she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

"I'm not sure, actually. I was just hoping." Felicity whispered softly and picked up her jacket again. Her eyes narrowed when an envelope fluttered to the ground at the movement and knelt down to pick it up.

Turning it over in her hand she frowned. The cream colored envelope was thick and the words "Oliver Queen – the Arrow?" were embossed on it in a delicate hand.

"What's that?" Roy asked curiously.

Shushing him, she delicately tore it open and pulled out a thick vellum sheet. The sheet smelled sickeningly of jasmine and was covered in cursive writing. Straightening the page Felicity read the letter, her eyes widening with each word.

"Roy," she breathed, "It's signed _Vertigo_."

Roy stiffened and scanned the room. Assuring himself that they were alone in the Foundry he snatched the letter and read it before pulling out his phone and dialing Diggle.

Twenty minutes later, Diggle stormed down the stairs his eyes full of vengeance.

"I called Oliver," he said shortly. "Show me the letter."

Roy handed it over silently as Felicity watched from her chair. The contents had shaken her up and she felt detached from her emotions. Focusing on keeping her breathing steady, she gave Diggle a reassuring smile as his worried eyes bored into hers. He started pacing and was reading the letter it for the fourth time when Oliver finally thundered down the stairs.

Oliver's eyes scanned the three of them and after satisfying himself that they were alright he took the letter from Diggle.

"The gist of it is that he's coming for you." Diggle said solemnly as Oliver read, "And he seems to have a special grudge against Felicity –"

"He graphically detailed what he's going to do to her the next time they meet," Roy cut in angrily.

Oliver shot him a look as his hand involuntarily crumpled the letter. Relaxing his grip Oliver schooled his expression, trying to erase the anger from his face as he looked at Felicity.

"Are you alright?" he asked gruffly.

Felicity shrugged, "Words only have as much power as you allow them to have. I'm fine and I intend to stay fine." She looked him in the eye as she spoke and her heart clenched when he didn't seem to be affected although this was the first time they were speaking face to face in a week.

Oliver nodded but his eyes grew concerned. "I should have taken care of this months ago. Too many people know our location – and our identities. We need to relocate, immediately."

"I'm on it." Felicity stood up and put her jacket on. Steadfastly ignoring the three worried gazes on her she pursed her lips, eager to leave before she said something she would regret. There was so much to be said but her thoughts and feelings were so conflicted in that moment that it was best if she kept quiet.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

"Roy will help," she added. Roy looked disgruntled but he didn't argue and followed her out of the lair.

Oliver watched them leave with a heavy heart. This had been the closest to Felicity he had allowed himself to be all week. He had been sure to visit her during her recovery but only when he was sure that she was sleeping. And since she had returned to work he had made certain that their only contact was through their ear comms or Diggle. In hindsight, it was neither the best nor the most effective move but it would have to do. He couldn't risk her life, not again. And the only way he could repress his feelings for her was by staying away.

"I think the tension between you and Felicity is beginning to affect Roy," Diggle stated dryly, "You know how children get disturbed when mommy and daddy start fighting."

Oliver glared at Diggle.

"You two can't continue like this. Especially in light of this… I don't like how he writes about Felicity. And how did he make the connection between you and the Arrow? Vertigo definitely died before he could have told his successor."

Oliver stared at the letter, confused himself.

"We're going to find out." Oliver vowed before continuing grimly, "Would you agree that the packaging and presentation has a distinctly feminine feel?"

"You think he has an accomplice?" Diggle questioned.

Oliver didn't reply and Diggle's unease grew.

The next morning Felicity walked into the office and was genuinely surprised to find Oliver seated behind his desk wearing a suit. Not only was he early for the meeting but he also seemed to be reading through some papers and preparing for it. It was no wonder since he was desperate to save the company and rebuild the one thing that his mother had cherished after her children.

Felicity dearly hoped he succeeded because she had formed a certain to the company. The countless hours she had spent trying to keep Queen Consolidated on its feet and the dedication she had put into her work had gone beyond what any average EA would - which was probably a good thing because she would have been bored out of her mind otherwise.

A hundred percent sure that Oliver knew she was watching him despite the fact that he seemed engrossed in his coffee and papers she pushed her way through the glass doors and into his office. He looked up when she entered and motioned with his free hand. She followed the hand movement with her eyes and found a steaming cup of coffee.

Oliver cleared his throat, "I thought you might be here early so I got you some coffee too. It's your usual."

Felicity looked at him, trying to hide her surprise. Her _usual_? How did _he_ know her usual? She was usually the one making the coffee runs.

Touched by the gesture she grabbed the coffee cup and smiled. "Thanks. Are you ready?"

Oliver set down the papers and gave her a grave look. "I have one shot at this and I don't want to mess it up."

Felicity sat down across from him.

"Hey, don't think like that. You care for Queen Consolidated – it's your parents' legacy. It's going to be your legacy. The board will hear you out _and_ we don't have any opposition since Isabel is gone."

Oliver tapped his desk agitatedly. Sitting up straight he took a sip of his coffee.

"I don't think I ever acknowledged this Felicity but thank you." He looked at her seriously.

Felicity looked back, confused, "For what?"

"Everything," his voice was gentle, "The only reason this company is still standing is you. I was so caught up in being the Arrow that I didn't give it any attention and I never gave you the credit for keeping it alive. We wouldn't even have a chance today if not for you." He smiled at her but his eyes were distant.

Felicity reached out and gave his fingers a soft squeeze before pulling back. "Don't blame yourself. You had a lot going on and to be honest, I kind of enjoyed it. Not as much as I would have enjoyed heading the I.T department but… "

She trailed off when Oliver sighed and looked at her apologetically.

"You know why I needed you here," he sounded regretful.

"Yeah, I know." she whispered back.

Truth be told, if being close to the CEO had to have "benefits" she would have preferred to head the I.T. division but it would seem life's definition of benefit was different from hers.

There was an awkward silence and Felicity steeled herself.

"Look, Oliver. We need to talk."

He didn't reply but looked at her reproachfully.

Felicity sighed. "I've missed this. Look at us; we haven't spoken properly in a week. I just don't understand why we can't be together, especially since we're still working together and I will continue to be in danger regardless of the nature of our relationship. It's my life, Oliver and I can make my own choices."

Oliver rubbed his face.

"Felicity."

She waited for him to elaborate but he didn't.

"That's not a response. We don't have time to talk about this now but we have to eventually. You never struck me as the type to avoid confrontation." She smiled at him, trying to ease the brunt of her words, "I've missed you. I've missed us."

She forced herself to stop speaking because Oliver seemed to be receding further into himself with each word. She watched as he stood up and buttoned his suit. Felicity grit her teeth, silently frustrated with his lack of response.

Oliver held out his hand, "We have a meeting to get to."

Ignoring his hand she stood up and put her untouched coffee back on his desk.

"I know the way." She shot him a disappointed glance on her way out.

Oliver kept his face stoic as he followed her to the conference room but inside he was battling against himself. She made a logical point but it wasn't that he was afraid that he couldn't protect her from others. No, it was that if he was too busy protecting her from others who would protect her from him and everything that he represented? And that… that broke his heart.

Standing at the threshold of the conference room Oliver put on his most charming smile while his mind whirled with a hundred different problems. One by one the board members filed in, stopping to shake his hand and some even offered their condolences for his mother's death. Keeping his smile firmly in place he accepted their platitudes and started the meeting.

Oliver listened attentively as numbers were mentioned and suggestions were thrown around. Eventually everyone turned to him expectantly and he sighed. Standing up he spoke to them as honestly as he could. He told them that he had never expected to be CEO of Queen Consolidated and that he had changed his mind because this was his parents' legacy – he gave Felicity a meaningful look – and he swore that he was completely committed to restoring the company to its former glory.

The end result wasn't encouraging because the members had just shook their heads and said that they would not be able to make a decision until they had received both bids.

"Both bids?" Felicity had interjected.

"Yes," one particularly crotchety member eyed her suspiciously, "A Ray Palmer has shown interest and he's preparing his bid as we speak."

Oliver gritted his teeth, "Indeed. And why weren't we made aware?"

As if on cue the door opened and a man stepped in. Felicity and Oliver eyed him curiously. He was tall and well-built. His black hair was neatly brushed and Felicity idly wondered if he would look so composed if it were windblown. He looked like any other business man in a suit but then he grinned at them, his eyes twinkling with good humour. Felicity suppressed a returning smile - if she was of the mind to be turned by a pretty face she would be hard pressed to choose between two such handsome men. But this wasn't about good looks and Ray Palmer was obviously more than just a pretty face since he had managed to sneakily insert himself at the head of the race to win Queen Consolidated.

"Sorry to interrupt," he looked at all of them in turn, "Ray Palmer. I'm the second bidder. _Very_ interested in Queen Consolidated."

Ray's gaze finally stopped on Oliver's face and he nodded. Oliver's own head bobbed in a barely perceptible nod.

The room had cleared pretty quickly after that. The board members had cleared their throats nervously and made their exits saying that they were eager to see the matter dealt with. As the room emptied, Oliver and Felicity made their way over to the interloper.

"You must be Oliver Queen."

Oliver shook Ray's hand, a tight smile on his face.

"This is Felicity Smoak." Oliver introduced her grimly.

Ray shook her hand with a pleasant smile on his face but his eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity.

"Ah, I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Smoak," Ray said gravely.

Oliver frowned at him while Felicity smiled, "All good, I hope."

"Very much so. In fact I'm very interested in hearing your views on some of my plans for Queen Consolidated."

Felicity blinked in surprise, conflicted as to how she should reply. She couldn't say yes because she was employed by Oliver but Ray had managed to intrigue her. What was he playing at?

"We're _all_ very interested to hear what you have in mind," Oliver interjected dryly. "Perhaps you'll enlighten us at the next board meeting."

Ray laughed, "Sooner. I'm currently staying at a hotel and I managed to wangle them into letting me throw a party tonight. Invitations were sent last night. I'm thinking most of the board members will be there and I hope to see you there." He smiled at Oliver before giving Felicity an enigmatic look. "And you, of course. Perhaps you would save a dance for me?"

He trailed off and surprised by the abruptness of his question Felicity slowly nodded. Ray's smile spread and Felicity's confusion at his pointed attention grew exponentially.

Oliver cleared his throat and Felicity looked at him surprised to find his brow furrowed in consternation as his thumb vigorously rubbed against his index finger.

Ray looked at Oliver before glancing at his watch, "Unfortunately, I've got to run. Delighted to meet both of you."

Felicity watched him go, mouth agape, "He's quite… smooth."

"This complicates things."

Felicity snorted, "When have things been simple? Looks like we're going to a party – might be fun... despite the looming threat of being overthrown."

Oliver sighed and pushed down his irritation, "Did you get anywhere with the new lair?"

Felicity frowned at him. "Yes, Roy and I checked it out last night and he's doing most of the grunt work. _It keeps him out of my hair_." She mumbled the last part. "Anyway, we should be ready to relocate sometime this week."

"Good. I need to scope the Glades for information on the new drug. Instruct Roy to do the same."

"He said he would ask Sin, she's usually a good source for these kinds of things."

Oliver nodded, satisfied that at least this one issue was in the process of being solved.

"Anything else? Maybe something important that needs to be discussed?" Felicity prompted him.

"Drop it, Felicity," he sighed regretfully, aware that he was hurting her feelings again. "It's best if we move on."

She let out a puff of air and glared at him.

Oliver stared back unfazed as his insides wriggled nauseatingly. "We have other problems to worry about."

Felicity blinked and mouthed 'problem'. Bristling visibly she focused the full force of her glare at him and fisted her hands, her spine ramrod straight.

"When you're done solving your other _problems _you know where to find me. Besides, I have to go to a party tonight because of yet another self-entitled billionaire. Joy." Her frustration rang through each word as she stormed towards the door.

Oliver's eyes crossed over as he watched her ponytail swing around in anger and he was horrified when his mouth betrayed him. "I don't trust Ray Palmer. Steer clear of him... for now." He bit the last part out reluctantly.

Felicity stiffened and pursed her lips. Pushing the door open she strode out without responding to his unsubstantiated claim and grating mandate.

**Please review, my darlings!**


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